topic 20 Years of Taking Antidepressants in Treatments, health professionals and therapies

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

Iceberg — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 07:09:23 GMT

I've been on antidepressant meds for 20 years now, is there anyone who has got off them after using for so long. I was told I would need to take them for the rest of my life.

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

white knight — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 14:25:58 GMT

Hi Iceberg,

I'd check with your GP. But I am on Ad's and other meds and I assume I'll be on them for the rest of my life too.

Hope all goes well

Tony WK

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

geoff — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 17:07:51 GMT

hello Iceberg, I have also been taking them for over 20 years, but if I run of pills or need to get another script and don't take them for 2 days then I fall back down to where I don't want to be, so I will be taking them for the rest of my life.
If they keep me feeling the way I want to feel then I don't have any problem with this, however it's something to talk to your doctor about, and if they want you to cut down on the dosage and then give up taking them, you will know how you will feel, so this could make you decide whether or not you need to take them. Geoff.

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

blondguy — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 19:50:07 GMT

Hello Iceberg

20 years this year for me too. Also told the same by my doc about life long depression (chemical imbalance) To me its the same as a physical problem....just need the meds to enable a relatively happy life

If I may ask you, how do you feel as in day to day?

Good question Iceberg. Paul

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

Dr_Kim — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 22:35:39 GMT

Hi Iceberg,

I guess my question for you is why now?

Has something changed in your life, your health , your outlook, your mental health that has led you to feel that a medication that you presumably have been stable on for 20 years is now no longer the right thing for you? If there is a good reason to have a trial off the medication, I wouldn’t say it is impossible to do.. but i would do it VERY slowly , as a 1/4 tablet reduction fortnight. I would also suggest that you do it under medical supervision to asses for both physical withdrawal issues, but also a relapse or instability on your mental health .

You should be monitored for about a year after ceasing the medication to see how it goes. You may still need them again in the future as the risk of relapse is still present. Some people use these medications intermittently inter lives and others as a stable part of their daily regime to keep themselves well. there is no golden rule, but just what works for each individual.

But, the caution here is to really question why now, and what are the hoped for gains and what are the risks for you if you relapse.

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

Iceberg — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 06:42:31 GMT

Some days I feel ok but there's a lot of days where I wake up feeling really down and I just don't know if the meds are working anymore.

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

Iceberg — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 06:47:48 GMT

I'm just not sure the meds are working anymore as I have a lot of down days and I'm on a really high dose SSNRI. An SSRI stopped working for me about 8 years ago. I'm going to see a Psychiatrist re all this but am concerned nothing is going to work for me anyway and maybe this is just how life is going to be for me, with my moods up and down.

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

blondguy — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 08:11:58 GMT

Hey Iceberg

You and I have been on these meds for the same time frame.....20 years..I also have some lows too when I wake up feeling low.

I know that the meds arent a fix all. They provide us with a platform on which we can re-build ouerselves more effectively with some counseling and using the coping techniques

If I may ask you, is there anything that has been making you feel like crap in the last few months?

I had a relationship last year that went backwards and my meds also felt useless..Sometimes it may be work or family issues that are making us feel lousy too

you are definitely not alone here Iceberg 🙂

kind thoughts for you

Paul

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

Tony5 — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:16:09 GMT

Hello Iceberg,

I wasn't on antidepressants for 20 years, 'only' for about 6 and I've been off them successfully for almost 18 months. It was my decision to go off them because I believe they do more harm than good and I believe I have found a way to not only overcome my depression, but to eradicate it forever. I believe that antidepressants are nothing more than a mask for the underlying problem of depression, which is low self-esteem. I'm now having psychotherapy to overcome my low self-esteem, which will eventually allow me to become the person I've always wanted to be (even though I'm now in my mid 50s).

It's my belief that a person with depression doesn't need to take medicine for the rest of their lives in order to merely cope with it, the illness can be overcome and eliminated by targeting the root cause: low self-esteem.

Good luck with your journey and I hope you can live without them as I do.

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

Jgv — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 01:16:29 GMT

I just joined this forum now, so I know this thread is a year old.

Very good ideas posted above to think about - especially the idea about low self-esteem underpinning depression. I think the two do go hand in hand, and the psychiatrist didn't talk much about low self-esteem that I can remember. It was more focussed on the symptom - major depression. After 20 years of SSRI, I got bit tired of pill-popping so I tried third time successfully to come off, wasn't too slow a wean off, but not quick. I don't I could have done it without the support of my wife quite frankly.

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

Lila_Lostland — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 15:26:30 GMT

Hi. I'm a new here too... I been Antidepressant's for 22 years.. Dunno why so long? Never questioned why, Doctors just wrote new Prescriptions. Told my Doc, he said at lets half the amount, the fog started to lift, felt less depressed, much happier, angrier, sadder, started to cry even on TV ad's.. Felt at my feelings got a freedom, such a fantastic feeling to feel happy again. Now been totally without any for 7weeks. Starting to feel, at I'm loosing it, my long lost anger, frustrations are getting out of my hands, those are coming in such a Strong burst. Issues in my life what I haven't been able to deal with. Havent grown up to say, feeling at those issues are 22years unleart territories, dont know how to face them, how to deal them adult way. Hard to explain, feels like at I have lost a lot of life in last 22 years. Not feeling and not living fully, learning experiences at how to behave, how to act in certain situations.........

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

Lila_Lostland — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 15:46:54 GMT

Even at I pressed at I like your Opinion,, I'm still not sure, at all can be blamed on a low self esteem.

It can be many things, Loss of something, like a personal value, not financial but mental, (like releasing at I was wrong) loosing a core value of ethos, basic inborn belief, it's kind of a thing like loosing mum or dad, and realising at all been a lie kind of a thing. Or loosing a close friend, mum or dad. Or loosing a limb, health, childhood trauma or any of those can be a shocking experience, any of those can tip the normal everyday balance..

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

blondguy — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 23:21:35 GMT

Hi Tony5

Its good that you have found something that works for you.

Lila Lostland has brought up some excellent points about depression being a complicated illness that can be triggered by many of life's major stress events and not just low self esteem.

If we were present during the world trade center attacks the chances of becoming a sufferer of depression would be highly likely. Our self esteem levels have little or no bearing whether or not we ended up with this awful illness.

The medication is an effective management tool for depression. The meds are never a fix all. They do provide us with a solid platform on which we can heal more effectively using frequent counseling to bring us some peace in our lives.

My kind thoughts

Paul

20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

Lila_Lostland — Fri, 25 May 2018 16:35:23 GMT

Hi girlie.. Just a PEP talk'ing to myself.

Don't lose your hope, you come a long way already. Totally out of withdrawals, (crazy headspace looks like, at it's gone) Good on you girl.. You are likeable again.. Hihi hih hiii !!

Just a one step at a time.. Easy does it. No hurry with it... You got through it great..